Love in Poetry

Chapter 3

Things between William and me began to escalate rather quickly. It was as if we were two lost souls wandering in opposite worlds until we collided and fit together just right. He fit into my life like the last piece of a puzzle falling into place. Soon enough, we were meeting for weekly coffee at a local shop and discussing literature. This gifted me a glimpse into his life of poetry and granted me perspective on his works.
"Well, my lady. Shall we take a gander toward my favorite coffee shop?," William inquired.
"That sounds very lovely, sir, I would be most honored to," I replied in the most formal accent I could muster.
"You make me blush," he grinned. "I'd like to show off a new work of mine once we arrive."
Another piece already? I wondered if I might be the topic once more. I surely was flattered.
We arrived at the coffee shop and with a quick glance over the menu I spotted it. They served milkshakes here! I took this as somewhat of a sign; a token of our love.
"I'll have one chocolate milkshake for my beloved Milkshake," I requested, exchanging a sly but flirtatious wink with William.
"Somehow... I knew you'd pull something like this," he said with a sigh that quickly turned into a giggle.
We shared the drink in the romantic way with two straws in one, sipping it down until the last drop.
"Well," William started. "I think it's about time I do some real teaching. Let's head to the bookstore, shall we?"
I nodded in reply. Things were about to get serious. We walked about a few blocks and soon arrived at the shop.
"Alright... where do we start?," he sighed. After all, I was practically illiterate. This would take time as well as serious effort.
"I'd like to begin with basic poetry. We'll start with haikus since you seem fairly familiar with them. Just follow the 5-7-5 pattern and express the emotions you wish to. Then, I'll help you write it," he explained.
"Sounds simple enough," I said with surprising confidence. He did say I seemed familiar with them, how hard could it be? "So what topic will my first haiku have the pleasure of describing?," I asked with curiosity.
"How about a milkshake?," he inquired with a sly grin. "I've come to learn how fond you are of them... hence my nickname."
"That's perfect!," I exclaimed. "Hm. I'll have to think about this one, considering how important they are to me," I said thoughtfully. A few moments passed as I pondered my options. "Alright, I've got it!", I announced excitedly. "I think you'll like this one."
"Will I?," he asked playfully. "I'm ready, let's see what you've got, (y/n)."
"An enticing view
The surface shields the sweetness
Each sip reveals truth"
William took a long pause. I couldn't tell if it was in hesitancy or disbelief and if those correlated positively or negatively. Each second felt close to an hour waiting for his response.
"Are you sure that was about a milkshake?," he questioned hesitantly.
"Well it was... partly. You see, you're very similar to a milkshake so they're kind of interchangeable," I laughed nervously. Something was off.
"I need you to tell me the truth," he whispered. "I may have made a grave mistake in letting things escalate like this."
"Ok, maybe it was about how I feel about you. So what? William, I think it's very apparent... I'm growing quite fond of you," I confessed. What could his problem possibly be? Had his massively inflated ego made yet another return?
"(Y/n), I'm so sorry. You can't fall in love with me. Or be in love with me. Ever." He spoke softly, almost in defeat, with his head hung low. And with that, he fled the bookstore without another word, leaving me with a thousand questions and indefinite answers.

Congratulations on reaching the end of chapter three! You now face a tough choice of your own. I will write two endings, one of which is a tragedy (inspired by Shakespeare of course), and the other will be a happy ending similar to those in fairytales. The decision is up to you... proceed to chapter four to experience the tragedy and chapter five for the happy ending.